"Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry. I don't care whether it sounds corny or not. It's the truth." -Jim Lehrer
Carefree Truth
Issue #1008, April 17, 2022
Issue #1008, April 17, 2022
Gary Neiss noted that spring is budget time and fall is audit time. This was the first of 5 public meetings on the budget. The Council Work Plan was developed and vetted 2 years ago. There were a lot of deliverables, and an astonishing amount was delivered this past year. The staff has worked diligently and the accomplishments are many.
The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) was recently approved, and the Year 1 Projects were being folded into the 2022/23 Fiscal Year (FY) budget along with the revenues associated with that.
In January/February, the department heads begin to evaluate the workload, trends, and policy/regulatory changes which may impact the budget. In March/April, the Town receives the annual adjustments from outside entities such as the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), Rural/Metro (R/M), and fee statements and shared revenue from the County and the State. At that point, Mr. Neiss and Jim Keen, the Town Accountant, start to formulate the budget. In April, public workshops are held for the administration to discuss and formulate the budget. In May, the preliminary budget and bottom line expenditures are established. The budget hearing is held in June and the budget is officially adopted. The FY starts July 1st.
The purpose of the first meeting is to review the staff accomplishments, goals, and current needs, and to discuss priorities for the next FY. The conversation between the staff and the Council is to gain understanding of Departmental priorities, issues, and concerns for the coming FY, and identify goals and needs to help mold the budget. Public questions and comments would be taken at the end of the presentation.
The Work Plan has 4 pillars.
1: Quality development
2: Infrastructure management
3: Economic development and financial sustainability
4: Communication, marketing, and community engagement
With aging infrastructure, just as with aging bodies, it is vital to keep up with maintenance in order to avoid more costly repairs in the future. There is a life cycle to all infrastructure, and it must be managed responsibly. The job of the Town Engineer is to extend the life of those assets.
Carefree is working with the existing businesses and seeking complimenting businesses to enhance the sales tax centric financial model. That is critical. It is how the bills are paid and how the infrastructure is maintained. Like personal portfolios, it is vital to diversify and to balance the risks, which is the job of the Economic Development Director. Carefree is building upon and enhancing the communication channel, reaching out to more citizens and businesses than ever before. The Communications Director has only been with the Town for a short time, but she has brought remarkable outreach and creativity to the table, and the comments received have been worlds apart from the past, with more people participating in the decision making process. This is helpful and the Town celebrates it. All of this is accomplished with one of the smallest operational budgets and municipal staffs in the state of Arizona.
The Rural Arizona Health Trust, to which Carefree belongs to control health care costs, oversees many rural communities. Carefree is the smallest organization from an operational perspective, with an operation budget of less than $7 million, and a staff of 17. There is not one other member that small. Carefree should be very proud of the workload this staff accomplishes on an annual basis. It is very efficient and delivers the biggest bang for the buck. There are 4 divisions. During the budget workshops, you will be hearing from the respective department heads of Administration, Community Development, Public Works, and the Municipal Court.
https://vimeo.com/699208286
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.
In January/February, the department heads begin to evaluate the workload, trends, and policy/regulatory changes which may impact the budget. In March/April, the Town receives the annual adjustments from outside entities such as the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), Rural/Metro (R/M), and fee statements and shared revenue from the County and the State. At that point, Mr. Neiss and Jim Keen, the Town Accountant, start to formulate the budget. In April, public workshops are held for the administration to discuss and formulate the budget. In May, the preliminary budget and bottom line expenditures are established. The budget hearing is held in June and the budget is officially adopted. The FY starts July 1st.
The purpose of the first meeting is to review the staff accomplishments, goals, and current needs, and to discuss priorities for the next FY. The conversation between the staff and the Council is to gain understanding of Departmental priorities, issues, and concerns for the coming FY, and identify goals and needs to help mold the budget. Public questions and comments would be taken at the end of the presentation.
The Work Plan has 4 pillars.
1: Quality development
2: Infrastructure management
3: Economic development and financial sustainability
4: Communication, marketing, and community engagement
With aging infrastructure, just as with aging bodies, it is vital to keep up with maintenance in order to avoid more costly repairs in the future. There is a life cycle to all infrastructure, and it must be managed responsibly. The job of the Town Engineer is to extend the life of those assets.
Carefree is working with the existing businesses and seeking complimenting businesses to enhance the sales tax centric financial model. That is critical. It is how the bills are paid and how the infrastructure is maintained. Like personal portfolios, it is vital to diversify and to balance the risks, which is the job of the Economic Development Director. Carefree is building upon and enhancing the communication channel, reaching out to more citizens and businesses than ever before. The Communications Director has only been with the Town for a short time, but she has brought remarkable outreach and creativity to the table, and the comments received have been worlds apart from the past, with more people participating in the decision making process. This is helpful and the Town celebrates it. All of this is accomplished with one of the smallest operational budgets and municipal staffs in the state of Arizona.
The Rural Arizona Health Trust, to which Carefree belongs to control health care costs, oversees many rural communities. Carefree is the smallest organization from an operational perspective, with an operation budget of less than $7 million, and a staff of 17. There is not one other member that small. Carefree should be very proud of the workload this staff accomplishes on an annual basis. It is very efficient and delivers the biggest bang for the buck. There are 4 divisions. During the budget workshops, you will be hearing from the respective department heads of Administration, Community Development, Public Works, and the Municipal Court.
https://vimeo.com/699208286
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.